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The association of the human herpesvirus-6 and MS

Department of Neurology, NYU Medical Center, New York 10016 USA, Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York 10021 USA

M J Lyons

Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York 10021 USA

G Cu

Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York 10021 USA

D V Ablashl

Advanced Biotechnologies, Columbia, Maryland 21046 USA

J E Whitman

Advanced Biotechnologies, Columbia, Maryland 21046 USA

M Edgar

Department of Neuropathology New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center NY, New York 10021, USA

Marjaleena Koskiniemi

Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland

Antti Vaheri

Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Finland

J B Zabriskie

Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York 10021 USA

Given the clinical and pathological nature of multiple sclerosis (MS), a viral infection has long been hypothesized as part of the etiology. In this study we investigated the possibility that the human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is present in a dormant or active phase in the tissue of MS patients, specifically oligodendrocytes. Using PCR assays of MS and non-MS brain sections with primers prepared against the HHV-6 structural protein 101, the results demonstrated that 36% of MS brains were positive for the virus, while 13.5% of non-MS brains were positive. Antibody to the HHV-6 structural protein was also used in immunohistochemical experiments in brain tissue. 47% (7/15) of MS brains were positive for HHV-6, whereas 0/16 controls were positive. In addition, MS patients demonstrated high immune reactivity to this virus, even when compared to auto-immune diseases, which might cause polyclonal activation. Sera obtained from MS and control patients revealed that the IgM response to the HHV-6 virus was significantly elevated in 80% patients compared to 16% non-MS controls, P5.001. The above experiments strongly suggest that a significant number of MS brain samples contain HHV-6 antigens and genomic fragments in a dormant or active phase compared to control specimens and that MS patients mount a brisk, early IgM response.

Key Words: multiple sclerosis • herpes • viruses • antibodies • virology • HHV-6

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 5, No. 5, 355-362 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/135245859900500509


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